Cherub The Training Exercise
by Harmione4ever
Summary: In this story of which I own the plot and all new characters Robert Muchamore owns the rest the cherub agents go and do a high tech exercise in a remote area.
1. Chapter 1

Cherub: The Training Exercise

Chapter 1

James hated punishments, especially those that involved doing a marathon of laps round the athletics track. He had got 100 along with Bruce, Kyle and Gabrielle after playing an elaborate prank involving cold water in a freezing storage unit. They had all started at the same time and it had turned it to an unspoken but very competitive race. James being the strongest and Gabrielle being the fittest were in the lead coming up to the half waypoint, 50 laps in. It was at this point that they saw Zara standing by the shelter with Bruce and Kyle already there. They jogged over there panting realizing they had over done it massively and were very grateful for the interruption. Bruce and Kyle were in hysterics for some reason and Gabrielle and James looked at each other wondering how they had made a fool of themselves. Zara smiled 'we've been trying to get your attention for about five laps but you were so focused on your race you didn't see us standing here. 'What' James and Gabrielle gasped together, and at this Bruce fell to the ground rolling in hysterics.  
'Now that you are all here I've assemble you here for a massive training exercise, one of the largest that has ever taken place. It will cancel out any punishments and lessons for a while if you choose to accept. James was the first to accept and he did so without hesitation. The others, smiling at James' enthusiasm at getting off the long list of punishments he had acquired and all his lessons, agreed a few seconds after him.  
After going back to his room showering and changing his clothes, putting on a fresh black shirt that had been sent up that morning, headed out to the newish mission control building, which had been upgraded even more quite recently. He met up with Kyle outside and then they went into Zara's office, which was the largest, and they soon found out that it was for a reason, there were over thirty kids already there. Zara pushed her way through the crowd of teenagers and called for quiet when she got to her desk.  
'Now' she asked, ' can anyone tell me why we have chosen you to be here'. There was a moment's pause as they looked around the room. As always Kerry and Lauren's hands were up in the air first, competitively trying to be the best. James thought he knew the answer but was happy letting the others get credit and satisfaction. Kerry said it was because there were even numbers of shirts (black, grey and navy) and got told no. Lauren said even boys and girls. Zara again rejected the answer saying that there was a reason for each individual getting picked for the exercise. A few more tried their luck before James tried his answer. A few started to giggle expecting the witty answer James usually provided. Zara obviously had the same thought and said exasperatedly, 'yes James'. "Is it because none of us have been on missions for over a year for whatever reasons apart from Lauren' (punishment he thought to himself). Zara looked surprised, that's it exactly the reason, James, well done' she said.  
All of a sudden he felt quite smug and he saw Kerry and Lauren's disappointed faces and he felt even smugger. Zara explained that because for whatever reasons they had not been on missions they had all been picked for this training exercise to keep them on the ball and because she felt they deserved it. 


	2. Chapter 2

Cherub: the training exercise

_Chapter 2_

_Training briefing for James Adams_

_This is one of the very few documents that is allowed out of the briefing rooms as James is team leader._

_James Adam's team consists of the following people: _

_James Adams (Black Shirt)  
Gabrielle O'Brien (Black Shirt)  
Jack Hanbury (Black Shirt)  
Lauren Adams (Black Shirt)  
Bethany Parker (Navy Shirt)  
Shakeel Dajani (Navy Shirt)  
Mo Breech (Navy Shirt)  
Connor Reilly (Navy Shirt)  
Roger Johnson (Navy Shirt)  
David Reid (Navy Shirt)  
Jasmine Brimley (Grey Shirt)  
Andy Lagan (Grey Shirt)  
Jake Parker (Grey Shirt)  
Conny Smith (Grey Shirt)  
Billy Glover (Grey Shirt)  
Kyle French (Grey Shirt)  
Sofia Brian (Grey Shirt)  
Rachel Bibb (Grey Shirt)  
Thomas O'Sullivan (Grey Shirt)  
Jade Graham (Grey Shirt)_

_This is not a mission but the training exercise but is still classified as medium-risk due to the use of very powerful simulation guns. Like a mission, Cherub agents have the right to refuse this training exercise at any time._

_This mission will take place in the government area known as Y_____. It is close to the coast, has a thick forest and has small mountains/large hills so is perfect for a training exercise. There are two bases in the area, which is fenced in by high electric fences so no one can just wonder in. Any agent that tries to cheat by getting outside the fence will receive a fail and be kicked off missions for another YEAR. The bases will contain basic supplies for each team but both teams will be dropped in the middle with only the clothes on their back and a very thin suit to under everything. It is clear but it has tiny sensors so it is possible to tell who has been hit. They have socks and gloves tied on for reasons. Anyone who is deemed dead by the sensors will not be able to fire weapons as the weapons react to the sensors and only those alive wearing them will be able to fire them. There are many many extras in the area such as more guns (there will only be a few non pistols in the base), night vision (as there will be no rest at night and the training will continue as normal), extra food packages etc etc. After a period of time we deem fit or when the data we receive from your suits tell us your dead we will stop._

James looked up from his briefing. The rest was drivel that was in every training exercise briefing. There were obviously two different briefings but he could see everyone on his team had the same confusion as he did. James put his hand up. Zara asked him what was up.  
'It's just that, you have made me in charge when Lauren is on the team. Isn't she the senior agent.'  
Zara glanced around at Lauren who shifted in her seat. 'Could all the black shirts stay behind please' Zara asked. When all the others had filtered out only eight remained behind, James, Lauren, Gabrielle, Jack Hanbury, Kyle, Bruce, Kerry and Dante. ' I'm afraid that a few weeks ago on her mission Lauren and a friend she had made got so drunk that Lauren let something slip about Cherub.' Everyone in the room gasped, Jack (one of Lauren's friends from basic training) even mockingly tutted but quickly shot an apologetic look as Lauren sniffed in the corner. 'Luckily however no-one else heard and her friend had as much to drink and did not remember in the morning' she paused for few seconds then added, 'we hope'. Lauren shifted guiltily on her seat in the corner. 'We both discussed it at the end of the mission and we agreed on one thing. No-one else would ever be that careless and while we thought it not right to remove her status as a black shirt we effectively took away her status as a very senior agent so she is now the lowest ranked black shirt and therefore below everyone in this room.  
By this time tears were silently rolling down Lauren's cheeks. 'I let you all down, I'm so sorry' she tearfully mumbled, 'I won't let it happen again, I promise'. James went over to her and hugged her saying how nothing had happened and that it no longer mattered. Everyone else murmured their agreement and Jack and Dante, who had both done basic training with her at one point, consoled her with hands on shoulders while James hugged her.


	3. Chapter 3

Cherub: the training exercise

Chapter 3

The two buses left at 7am the next morning, each packed up with a different team. James, Lauren, Gabrielle and Jack were at the front discussing tactics and each member of the teams' strengths and weaknesses. Jack was going through his plan for the group to split up into four groups each with one of the black shirts in each group and he suggested one of the teams finding higher ground and acting as a sort of sniper group. James liked the idea and agreed with it. Jack was an incredible agent. He had come to Cherub when he was only four years old and so with all the previous red-shirts he had a natural advantage over the more recently recruited people like James who went into basic training straight away. Despite this Jack had excelled even more than expected and by basic training was already fluent in two other languages than English and well on his way in two more as well as having already passed his advanced combat course and was even rumouredly able to defeat Kerry Chang despite being much younger. Obviously he had been quite a special ten year old and now at thirteen he had become the second youngest black shirt (having done so in two missions before his eleventh birthday gaining his black shirt by pretty much single handedly taking down a very large south American drug cartel. He was now fluent in four languages not including English and had taken five GCSEs already. He was popular throughout campus and managed to do everything without being regarded as a suck up or a swat. So overall James was very happy with his team, as he knew Gabrielle to be extremely reliable and tactically clever. Lauren he considered to be like him as levelheaded, smart and able. He saw Lauren eyeing Jack from a few seats away and he smiled to himself, he knew Lauren had a mad crush on Jack as did many other girls but she would only admit it to Bethany and himself afraid that she would get rejected.

Jack saw Lauren smiling at him and he winked. He liked Lauren and he had become good friends with her during basic training before she hit Mr. Large with a spade. He smiled at the memory, remembering how all the trainees had cheered after he was knocked out before falling silent as Lauren ran out of the compound crying, obviously afraid of her career as a Cherub agent being prevented. She winked back laughing slightly but he noticed that the laughter seemed slightly nervous. He got back to talking to Gabrielle about who should take who. He thought that Lauren should take Jake, Bethany and Jade to higher ground as together the two girls could control Jake and it was widely known around campus that Jake was the best shot around despite only just being out of basic training. Also everyone thought he fancied Jade so hopefully he wouldn't do anything stupid in front of her and she could guard Jake well. Gabrielle then suggested that Jack go through the middle while James and Gabrielle would go round the sides of the area after they thought they had enough equipment.  
Gabrielle fervently agreed and they both stuck their heads over to see whether James would accept this plan.

James was all too happy to accept this plan (he imagined the middle would be under the heaviest fire) and he knew as long as the agents with Jack were younger he would get unwavering loyalty (and he had a young team). He knew that he and Jack were some of the coolest kids on campus but they had both gone a different way about. Jack was always calm and collected and everyone wanted to be his friends while James had become a top dog through a slightly less respected method. This meant that Jack was a great asset and James really believed with this type of core in his team, they had a serious chance of winning. Absentmindedly James scratched his body, the almost invisible, expensive and very high tech layer over his skin itching like mad. The bus had arrived and he saw the other team was already huddled together. James stole the idea and called the whole team together and relayed the plan, while he quickly chose who was to go with him or Jack or Gabrielle as they had already decided on Lauren.


	4. Chapter 4

"Right here are the four groups," James said in a hushed whisper so the other team wouldn't hear.

Contingent One: Snipers

Lauren  
Bethany  
Jake  
Jade

Contingent Two: Core

Jack  
Mo  
Roger  
David

Contingent Three: Left Flank

James  
Shakeel  
Thomas  
Rachel  
Sofia  
Kyle

Contingent Four: Right Flank

Gabrielle  
Connor  
Billy  
Conny  
Andy  
Jasmin

"Everyone happy" he asked and smiled when everyone nodded.

"We can't have a finite plan until we get to the base and even then it can only be for the start as this looks like its going to be long and drawn out. Listen to your black shirt, they are in complete control…OK" he said looking at Jake, who gulped nervously.

"All I know is that at the start we are going to rush out into the middle of the area apart from the sniper team who are going to scour the area around the base and look for a possible spot to snipe from. Then everyone is going to sweep back towards the base, while looking for equipment to get the upper hand at the start. Its risky I know but this is what makes me think the other team won't attempt it, I've given slightly more detailed instructions for the long run to your black shirt who will tell you now but make it look like the team talk is over and now your just informally chatting. We don't want to let them know our groups and strengths at all. Ok? BREAK!" and with that James ended the huddle.

Several minutes later, one of the assistants called everyone together. He told them they were to be blindfolded so when they were being driven through the compound there would be no advantages. Once blindfolded, James' team were helped into the back of a truck and were soon hurtling there way to one side of the compound. Once there, James and his team leapt out of the truck and were immediately ready to run out. Just as they were about to set off, James said lets do a quick search off our base/compound thingy so we can get guns and whatever aides are in there just in case.

"Good idea" Gabrielle said and went with him to help look. To their delight, James saw one of the four non-pistol guns lined up on a wall was a sniper. Gabrielle found some radios on a counter, of which she took four. They ran back outside, handing a radio to each of the black shirts and then gave Lauren the sniper telling her she and her team could move to whichever position she felt was best, once they had looked properly through the compound and the surrounding area. The other three guns were two assault rifles and a shotgun. He chucked the shotgun to Jack saying that he would probably encounter the most close-hand combat if any while he and Gabrielle would get the assault rifles.

"Alright guys, lets move out!" James encouraged as he began to run into the under-growth with the rifle slung over his back. Gabrielle was the first to join him, although in a significantly different direction before the rest of the teams then set off into the undergrowth at a fast rate that could only be expected from Cherubs for people off that age.

"Right guys, lets all move with more stealth now", James voice whispered over the radio.

"I expect we're approaching the halfway point now. In fact everyone stop, spread out in your respective groups and start moving back towards base."

Two affirmatives came back over the radio as Team James rolled out their plan.

"Jack, Jack! Can you hear me", Lauren's voice came back over the radio.

"Loud and clear Lauren, what's up" Jack said calmly.

"Be quiet, Jake says he can see you from the sniper and there looks to be a scout party rapidly approaching your position, I'd say an eta of two minutes, if your gonna talk, do it quickly" Lauren rambled.

Jack's cherub training kicked into action. "Core team in quick".

He told them what Lauren told him before saying,

"Guys, I need you to get back towards base quickly, I'm pretty sure I saw some guns lying in a clearing in that direction" he said pointing at a path through the trees. 

"Get the guns and set up an ambush. I'm going to stay here and stall them, to give you time to prepare but I'm not promising much so set it up as quick as possible and be ready, take the radios and receive instructions from Lauren, apparently they can see us as I said… and no arguments, better to lose me than all four of us" he said as Roger opened his mouth to argue that they couldn't afford to lose Jack.

"Besides, who says I'm planning on dying" Jack now whispered cheekily and with that he disappeared into the undergrowth.

"Quick guys, Jack left the microphone on and I heard all of that, you don't have much time, their getting closer" Laurens voice frantically said over the radio.


End file.
